Harish Rao targets Congress govt on protests at Secretariat over pending dues

BRS leader T Harish Rao criticised the Telangana government after retired employees and contractors protested at the Secretariat over pending dues. He questioned delays in payments to small contractors and retirement benefits and alleged that commissions were being sought

Hyderabad: BRS Legislature Party (BRSLP) deputy leader T Harish Rao lashed out at the Congress government following protests by retired employees and contractors at the Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat on Monday. He said the seat of administration had turned into a venue for public protests under the Congress government.

Reacting to the protests, Harish Rao asked why the bills of small contractors and dues of retired employees had remained pending for years despite repeated appeals. He alleged that payments were being made to big contractors while smaller contractors were being forced to wait for months.

---

He recalled earlier allegations by contractors that 20-30 per cent commissions were being demanded for clearing pending bills and asked whether payments were being withheld because they had refused to pay commissions.

Harish Rao reminded the Congress government of its assurance to release the dues of retired employees in May this year. He said employees and teachers who had retired after March 2024 were facing difficulties without their retirement benefits.

He asked how the government could claim to be delivering “Praja Palana” (people’s governance) when retired employees with more than three decades of service had to protest at the Secretariat to secure their dues.

He slammed the government over the alleged use of police to prevent people from raising their grievances at the Secretariat. He demanded that the government listen to the concerns of retired employees and contractors and clear their pending dues.